Moral Dilemma
by louare
Summary: King Peasley has a disagreement with his captain of the guard over the captain's recent choices.


He awoke lying on a cot, under a thin sheet and with a cool cloth on his forehead. He shifted, and felt the sheet skirt across his skin. His armor had been removed.

As Luigi began to come back to the world, background murmurs of other injured soldiers and Fava's scolding voice told him he was in the infirmary. He twitched his toes first, and then began to move his legs. The moment he tried to sit up, however, the wound in his side sent a throb of pain up his torso and down his arms. He groaned, and collapsed back into the pillow. Hurried footsteps came towards him and two hands twisted the front of his shirt.

"Finally you're awake, you twice damned idiotic bastard!" A voice he recognized to be the king's hissed into his ear. "Open your eyes and explain yourself."

Luigi followed the order reluctantly, blinking and squinting in the bright light. "I'm alive." He mumbled.

"And hardly that," King Peasley snapped. "You've been unconscious for three hours. Your men had to carry you in." He paused, and asked grudgingly, "Are you in pain?"

"A little, but I'll live." The captain craned his head to look at Peasley. Every facet of the king's face spoke of his fury- but his appearance was impeccable. There was no chance he had been on the battlefield. Luigi smiled as he realized his plan had worked. "How many dead?"

"None, we think." Peasley said. "Several injured. I would be better able to give you information if I was fully briefed myself."

"And Bowsers troops?" Luigi prompted.

He could almost see the steam coming from the king's ears. "They've fled." Peasley crossed his arms. "Some surrendered. They are currently in the castle dungeons."

A little more alert now, Luigi moved to sit up. Peasley took his elbow and moved the pillow so he could lean back comfortably.

"So what you're saying is," Luigi rested against the pillow gratefully, and moved to rest on his uninjured side. "It worked?"

King Peasley sighed impatiently. "Yes," he conceded. "It worked."

Luigi tried to hide his grin and failed.

"Don't look so happy about it." Peasley snapped. "You're lucky I didn't fire you on the spot. You're lucky that I'm allowing you to explain yourself, rather than boot you out of the castle right now!" His voice had increased to a shout by the last word, and the infirmary around them fell into silence.

Luigi, pressed back into the pillow, could only stare at the king. He had never seen him this angry before.

Peasley let out a breath between his teeth, whirled around, and began to pace, trying to get his temper under control while they waited for the noise to start again. Dr. Fava was the only voice that could be heard now, giving orders to the servants assisting her. As the seconds dragged on, the noise level began to rise again. Luigi glanced around at his surroundings. It was only privacy curtains surrounding them; they would have to speak quietly to avoid being heard.

Peasley finally stopped at the foot of the bed, gaining Luigi's attention. His eyes bore into the captain with barely contained fury. His hands gripped the metal bedframe. "Let's take it from the top." He said, his voice soft and calm. "What was our original plan of action, Captain?"

Luigi winced at the title. Clearing his throat, he straightened up as much as he could and met the king's gaze. "Bowser's forces had been seen camping in five spots around the kingdom. " He recited. "Chucklehuck Woods, HooHoo Mountain, Teehee Valley, Oho Oasis, and Gwarhar Lagoon. Each was accompanied by an airship. Bowser's personal airship was located in Chucklehuck Woods, close to the capital." He paused for breath. "Rather than risk dividing our forces too much, we decided to attack only three locations: Bowser's main ship at Chucklehuck Woods, and the ones at Gwarhar Lagoon and Oho Oasis."

Luigi hesitated, wondering if he should explain why. At Peasley's stern look he continued. "The enemies Gwarhar Lagoon and Oho Oasis were the greatest threats to the residents of the kingdom, and if we managed to defeat Bowser himself, it would hopefully cause the rest of his army to retreat. You were to lead the army storming the main airship, and I would lead Oho Oasis, and my second Gwarhar Lagoon. This attack was to take place one week ago."

"And what occurred instead?" Peasley's voice, if it were a knife, could cut.

Luigi swallowed, and glanced at the glass of water on the cart beside him. "Three days ago, during the night, six units of twenty soldiers each departed from BeanBean Castle. " Luigi took a deep breath. "Five traveled to each of the airships surrounding the kingdom. The last, which I led, travelled to Bowser Castle in the Darklands."

He couldn't bear to meet Peasley's glare anymore and dropped his gaze down to the sheet. "I'm not exactly sure how the other teams fared," He said quietly, "but our mission was successful. We planted Bob-ombs on a timer in the lower floors of the castle, where we judged the structure supports to be. Bowser castle is nearly completely destroyed. It will take them years to rebuild." He decided not to mention the thousands he had glimpsed from a distance, lying dead or crawling, screams in the ruins.

"That is the exact reason why I refused to enact a plan like that. " Peasley hissed, fists clenching at his side. "Years to rebuild!"

"You shouldn't feel sorry for them, Your Majesty, they were attacking us-" Luigi started.

"Bowser brought the war to us, but we didn't have to return the favor." Peasley interrupted him, " Years to rebuild! That's a catastrophe, Luigi-"

"He declared war on us!" Luigi snapped back, his voice rising, " Hundreds of innocents dead! It may not have been honorable, as you would prefer-"

"This wasn't about honor, Luigi," Peasley pointed an accusatory finger, "It was about having goddamn morals. He killed hundreds of our people, yes, and we will always remember that. "He stopped and raised as hand as Luigi began to protest. "You and your plan killed thousands of his. You committed a genocide, Luigi."

Luigi jerked forward, eliciting a painful stab from his side. "Don't you dare try to guilt trip me for this. We were in a war Peasley! Would you rather we lost honorably-"

"Don't even try that excuse again. " Peasley cut off. "I know that wasn't the only goal of your venture. You wanted to keep me out of the action, right?"

Luigi, caught, averted his gaze and said nothing.

"You knew that with your absence, I wouldn't go through with the original plan, "Peasley continued, a bitter note of triumph in his voice. "What was it that you said, during our last meeting? 'A king cannot fall in battle, a king must be a figurehead for his people.'" He paused, letting the words sink in. "That may be true, but I believe I know about being a king more than you do. I refuse to allow my soldiers die while I sit in the seat of luxury, away from the fight. It may be different in the Mushroom Kingdom, " Luigi's temper flared at the jab, but he stayed silent, " but in the BeanBean Kingdom, it is an honor to fall in battle. You have no idea the damage you have caused. "

"I didn't want you to get hurt-"

"In a hundred years, our own historians will call me a coward and a monster," Peasley interrupted. "And looking at the series of events, I won't blame them."

"Is that all you care about, what people will write about you in books?" Luigi said, his voice rising to a shout, " Are you that arrogant? Are you that blind? Are you truly telling me you would rather allow people to die, just so you'd be seen a hero? How arrogant-"

"Hold your tongue!"

The room hushed around them. Peasley's face was drawn in a snarl; abruptly he turned and walked away, his angry huffs audible in the quiet.

Luigi, seething, his injured side throbbing like a drum, attempted to do the same, taking calming breaths and forcing his hands to unclench. He had gone too far; shame and guilt curled in his gut.

"The worst part of this is, "Peasley said, still facing away as he drew a shaking hand through limp hair, "You did not even suggest a plan like it. You did not attempt to convince me of such actions; you did not even try to plant the idea in my head. Why?"

Luigi shrugged, forgetting that he couldn't see the motion. "You're too noble, "He said quietly, "and you know me too well. You would have shot it down and then watched me to make sure I didn't do it anyway. I hated to go behind your back, but I really felt it was the only way." He paused, then added. "The walls have ears as well, Your Majesty. I was afraid of spies, and of the enemy having warning should I speak. "

Peasley stood in silence for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head and stormed out, the curtain billowing shut behind him.

A few minutes after, Dr. Fava bustled in. Luigi was gratified to see few stains on her clothes. No too-serious injuries, then.

"Well, you've certainly gotten him in a huff," She said, after instructing him to take off his shirt. "What happened this time?"

Luigi only shrugged as the doctor checked him over. He wasn't in the mood to explain himself, and he wasn't even sure if he could. At the time, it had felt to be the right thing.

Luigi wasn't sure anymore. As Dr. Fava began to clean the injury, Luigi wondered if he was truly in the wrong, and what it would take for Peasley to forgive him.

 _I think it would be cool if Luigi was captain of the guard! It would give him a chance to learn discipline! Grow a backbone! Not to mention, cough cough, get close to Peasley..._

 _A_ _nyways, I wanted to_ _explore a situation where there was some form of a betrayal between Peasley and Luigi, and make it sort of ambiguous who was in the right._

 _Beta-read by Driftstar!_


End file.
